3 out of 12 universities embrace AIB’s $5.8m safety lab

Accident Investigation Bureau (AIB) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Lagos to use its metallurgical and material laboratory.

With the signing of the MoU with UNILAG, two Nigerian ivory towers have embraced the scheme having signed earlier agreement with the University of Ilorin.

The laboratory, also used as Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR), cost the Federal Government $5.8m to procure.

Since the equipment was installed in Abuja in 2014, it has been lying fallow prompting the AIB to interface with universities offering material and metallurgical courses to sell the idea of using the laboratory for their research work.

At the MoU signing at Unilag on Thursday, the AIB Commissioner/CEO, Engr. Akin Olateru, said out of 12 universities contacted, only three, including Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka responded.

With two universities already on board, the laboratory can now be put to better use for research, he said, adding that this would save the universities huge foreign exchange they would have expended in sending their academics abroad.

Vice-Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said the laboratory would ease application of research by members of the academic community, adding the academic staff in the university would have a good laboratory to work with thereby impacting on the students.